1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a software robot, and more particularly to a method for changing the emotion of a software robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
A software robot is a software-based virtual robot having a life cycle similar to a living creature the ability to communicate with an object in the real world. It has the further ability to move within a communication network and connect to other systems at any time and place. The software robot can recognize a situation by itself and seamlessly interact with a user. It can also learn various behavior patterns through the recognition of situations and the interactions with the user. A software robot is often called a “sobot.”
A sobot terminal having a sobot incorporated therein can output an emotional image of the sobot which is determined by the user's input. For example, while the sobot is in the state of emotional equilibrium, the user may press a “pet” key provided on the terminal several times, to generate a stimulus value corresponding to the pressings of the “pet” key. The generated stimulus value is applied to an emotion value of joy, which is the emotion corresponding to the “pet” stimulus, thereby increasing the emotion value of joy. When the increased emotion value of joy is greater than a reference emotion value of joy, the sobot terminal outputs an image representing the joyful emotion of the sobot.
In other words, the emotion of the sobot changes when an emotion value of a specific emotional state is greater than a reference emotion value. The emotional changes of the sobot, however, are mechanical because reference emotion values of diverse emotional states are fixed and unchangeable in a conventional sobot terminal. Accordingly, the user is not likely to sympathize during communication with the sobot.
Also, in conventional sobot terminals, an emotional change generated during communication between the user and the sobot cannot be reapplied to the sobot.